Power-transmitting mechanism.



W. C1 BAKER.

POWER TRANSMITTING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT,8.19\3. A

Patentedl Sept 8, 19.14

i 2 SHEETS-SHEET l` QN NN 247/227755 @T62 WML? w. C. BAKER. TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.

POWER APPL'ICATION FILED OGT.8, 1913.

Patented sept. 8,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

|||||l |..||lll` WALTER C. BAKER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

voWEn-TEANsi/IITTING MECHANXSM.

Application filed October 8, 1913. Serial No. 794,003.

To all e1-.bom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER C. BAKER, a citizen -of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the'county of'Cuyahoga and State of ()hio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to lo\ver-'1`ransmitting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in power transmitting mechanism. More particularly it has to do with the mounting of worm gear driving mechanism.

lt has for its *object to provide for the efficient, quiet running and durable mounting of a wormand worm gear, more particularly where the worm gear drives suitable differential mechanism for transmitting power to two alined shaft sections, such for example as the shaft sections used in driving axles for motor cars.

For the purpose of illustrating my in rention, I ha ve selected and hereinafter described one construction embodying it.

Figure l is a view, Ypartly in elevation and partly in section, of mechanism embodying Tuy invention. Eig. 2 is a vertical section through the` axis oi the driven shafts. Fig. fl shows in section the housing in the vertical plane of the axis of the driving shaft, other parts being shown in elevation and section. Fig. 4 is a section through a portion of the housing. Figs. 5,'6 and 7 are details.

ln the drawings 2, 3, indica-te, respectively, the shaft sections of the driving axle with the outer end of each of which a vehicle driving wheel has driving connection.V .The hubs o-f'tlie. wheels are indicated by 4 but one of which is shown. The inner contiguous ends of the. shaft sections are connected by compensating gearing 5 of any approved construction. -That whlch is illustrated in the drawings comprises the bevel'wheels 5', 5', each havinga driving connection with the inner end 'o one of the shaft sections, and bevel pinions 6 betweenthe bevel wheels, cach mounted upon a shaft 7 which isY supported -in the differential housing 8.- The latter has connected to it Aa wormgear9 with which Vmeshes the worm 1Q upon the driving lsha'ft l1. The worm 10 is illustrated as formed integral with the drive shaft 11. The bevel wheels 5' are shown to be connected with their respective shaft sections through the instrumentality of square passage ways through the gears which re- Speciication of Lette-:.1 Patent.

Patent-@a sept. s, 1914.

ceive the squared ends of the shaftsections, so as to permit relative longitudinal move- )nent of the parts While insuring that those wh ich are connected together'will rotate t0- gether.

12 is ahousing or casing for the power transmitting mechanism, which may be connccted with the frame work of the vehicle in any suitable manner. The worm and worm gear and differential gearin are so supported that they may bc casi y removed as a unit from the housing 12. To this end v(be gearing is mounted upon a. detachable section or cap piece 13 of the axle casing, so that the gear mount including the support l' may he separated from the rest of the casing, when the axle sections 2, 3 are \vith-,

drawn from the differential gears a sufl1' cient distance. The gear support and bearmg piece 13-1s preferably an integral casting suitably shaped, and is secured in position hy bolts 14. 1tA is formed 'with pillow blocks or rests 15 in which are mounted the supporting bearings 1G and thrust 'bearings 1T, which directly support the sleeve portions 8 of the differential housing 8, and indirf-ctly the inner ends of the driven sha'ft:

sections. The hea rings just referred to may".A be of any suitable typeof anti-friction bear-l ing, iter Aillustration hall bearings of Well human construction are shown. These ball bearings are held in place by a cap piece or hearing yoke 18 which at its' opposite ends is Secured to the pillow block iortions 15 of the removable portion 13 on the gearing housing or casr by means of bolts18.

The sleeves 8 of the differential housing vare preferably stepped, the load bearings 16 therebetween. A lock of any preferable kind, as indicated at 21 by` a bolt extending through thesupport 1S, is employed for holding the adjacent adjusting ring 2,0 in place.

The parts are so shaped, disposed and correlated that the housing S may bei adjusted laterally independently of the shaft sections 2, 3 for the purpose of insuring proper mesh relationship between the worm gear 9 and worm'lO.

The removable cap piece 13 of the axle housing is provided with a pair of oppositely extending hubs 22, 23 in alineirient with each other and disposed to receive the drive shaft 11. The outer end of this shaft is shown to lie within the hub 22 which is closed by a ca-p 24.

The proper lubrication of worin gearing is an essential factor in economical and ellicient operation of the gearing and durability -thereof. My idea contemplates a construc- `,tion which will enable even an unskilled per- A son'to easily operate the gearing under the Vproper conditions of lubrication.

Through the cap Q-l extends a duct.24' having a port :24a disposed at a point above the plane of contact of the worm gear 9 and .vorni 10, so that a suitable lubrieaiitinay be introduced through the port E24 and the proper lubricant level within the axle housing established. The duct 24 and port 24 in addition to their function in the establishment and maintenance of the proper lubricant level, facilitate easy inspection of the level of the lubricant within the axle hous` ing.

24h is a closure or bolt forthe upper end of the duct 24.

25 `is an anti-friction bearing dis osed within the hub 22 so as to be longitudinally movable to -and `fro therein and to support the free or outer end of the drive shaft 11, which latter is screw threaded to receive a nut 26. f

30 indicates an anti-friction bearing for the drive shaft which is arranged in the hub 23. It, like the bearing 25, is longitudinally adjustable within its support, and inay be of any suitable construction of load taking bearing. lVashei's or sleeves 27, 28 maybe interposed between the shoulders of the drive shaft 11 and the adjacent load bearings 25, 30,respectively.

35 indicates as an entirety a thrust bearing. It comprises the cyliiulrical member 36, spacing ring 3T, balls 38 and rings 39, 39. The rings 39, 39 snugly tit the internal spherical surfaces of the cylindrical section 36 so that the partsof the bearings contained within the cylinder 36 niay have universal movement relative thereto. 40, 40 are sleeves or collars for locating the position of the center ring 37 of the thrust bearing. The thrust bearing as :in entirety is positioned within the hub 23 der 23 thereof and a screw threaded ring or adjustment collar 32. 31, 31. are nuts carried by the shaft 11. The ring 32 may be locked in position in any suitable manner.

.For the purpose l have illustrated a between the shoul-- locking ring 33. 4

It will be noted that the position of the.v worin l() relative to the Worm gear 9 is determined by the location of the thrust ring 3T. The utmost nieety of adjustment between the worin 10 and wormgear 9 may be' readily attained by my construction, which lends itself admirably to manufacturingeiids and insures that the proper'relationship between the worm and the worm gear may be obtained without the necessity of almost prohibitive requirements in preeision of manufacture of the correlated parts. The vvorin, drive shaft, load bearings and thrust bearings are held together as a unit by the nuts 26 and 31 and these. parts as a unit may be adjusted to and fro within the/worm housing or casing. For convenience sake this 'unit may be referred to as the drive'- shaft unit. With this construction a standard distance between the plane of the shoulder 23 and a parallel plane through the axis of the worm gear 9 may be. establisheihand the proper relation of the worm-10-to the worm gear 9 accui'ately determined AbyA a washer 23a of the re' position the thrust ring 37 so as 'to insure mathematically correct meshing of the gearing. My construction not only lends itself admirably to the assembling ofthe co-acting parts in the first instance, butin' the event that a new Worin is to be substituted or a newfthrust bearing or any 'parts carried by the drive shaft, the drive shaft unit may be re-assembled, measured up and a suitable Washer E23a provided to insure the proper meshing relations of the worm with the worm gearing under the new or altered conditions.

To collect .any metal particles or chips thrown ofi' by the gearing within-the housing 12 in the operation ofpower transmitting mechanism, I have. provided in the worm casing a collectin pocket 41 arranged at cneend of the casing eneath the worm l() and provided with an outlet duct 42 norinally closed by a plug screw 43. From time to time in the operation of the mechanism this plug screw may be removed and any foreign particles 'collected in the pocket 41 withdrawn without disturbing any other part of the' assembly.

The drive shaft unit, including shaft 11 thereof may be assembled as a unit and in' -tmdueed as ISuch into the housing section therefor provided in the removable cap piece 13; in fact all the parts carried by this cap piece may be assembled as 'a gear mount unit. which unit is then placed in position and' secured to the other portion of the housing 12 by nuts 1 4.

The proper position of the worm 10 is los determined by the shoulder 23'. and if needs be by a suitable washer 23. The correct meshing relation laterally of the worm and worm gear may he obtained by lateral adjustment of the differential housingsr S through the iustriunentalitv of the adjusting collars or rings- 90.

The bearingr volte 1S in addition to serving vto support between its endsand the adjacent pivot blocks the anti-friction bearings for the differential housing 8. serves to strengthen the hearing; supports as an entirety, and toprovide an unusually .rigid supporting s-ructurefor `the differential housing;` Where a wor-iu gear nsedfor driving,r the differential housing considerable end thrust is encountered in operation and my idea of hearing; -reke is of peculiar advantage in taking care of sneu end thrust.

All'hile I have disclosed its use in connection '-r--th a worn: (rear. it vll be understood that it is equally applicable in connection with bevel gearing or any other well known type of gearinzgr which could he used in like manner.

lVhile the lubricant level may be establishedhv removing the plug 24'* and introducing a suitable lubricant through the port 24, until the lubricant overflows at that port. it may also he 1established by remov' ingr the plugY 24 and l'lso the plug 43 which is located in thenpper part of the axle housincy in which theuvorm gear 9 is located.l

:Ian-d by in trodneinfr lubricant through said upper openingr until it overtio'ws at the` port Q4.

lt will be noted that the mouth-of ,the sediment pocket 41 relatively narrow owing to a flange 4l extending downwardly from the support for the hearing 25, so that once any sediment or foreign material is collecte-d in this pocket with its narrow mouth. if will remain there, since the agitation of the lubricant by the gearing will tend to preclude such particles from working their way.' out through the mouth against the action of the lubricant as set up by the operation of the gearing. lt will be further noted that. the support and mounting fqr the bearing 25 is auch, that this bearing may move to and fro .vithin the housing not only when the parts are being properly assembled, but during; the operation of the gearing, should there he any tendency due to expansion of the worm or shaft, such as mighte occasioned by the heating thereof, this expansion in the direction of the axis of the worm, and any contraction which would follow, is accommodated by the freedom of the'bearing 25 to move to and fro longitudinally with its support.

To those skilled in the art of making apparatus of the class described, many alterations in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of my invention will suggest themselves, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosures and the description herein are piu-el)1 illustrative, and are not intended to he in an) sense limiting. I have elected to clailu'lierein the conunon patentable subject-matter disclosed in this application and in my original application Serial No. @2.951, med March 11., 1912.

'hat I claim Yis:-

l. In mechanism of theclass described. the combination of a housing. a Worm ear rotatably mounted insaid honsinv, a riving shaft, a worm on said driving shaft meshing?` with said worm gear, a load bearing adjacent one end of said driving shaft and longitudinally movable withinand supported b v said housinfv. bearings for taking both lead and thrust adjacent. the other end of said drive shaft and longitudinally movable within-and supported by said housing, and means for connecting said drive shaft with worm thereon and all saidbearings to'.- gether as a drive shaft unit, wherebyisaid unit as an entirety is longitudinally adjustable to and frofwithin said housing.

2. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination of a housing, a Wormvlgear rotatably mounted in said housing. a worm for driving said worm gear, a drivin shaft which carries said worm,l :n.loadv bea-ring adjacent one end of said drive vshaft. and longi tudinally movable -witl\- Sad Shaft within Aand supported by said honsing,'bearings for -takng both load and thrust'l arranged within said housing adjacent the otherend of-said drive shaft and longitudinally Vmovable with said shaft within and supported by said housing, means connect-ing said drive-shaft with wormvthereon and all of saidbearings tcgethcr as a drive shaft unit, and .means removable at will from said housing for determining the posit-ion of said drive shaft unit therein.

ln mechanism of the class described, the combination of a housing.`a worm gear rotatabl y mounted in said housing, a worm for driving said worm gear, a driving shaft. which carries said worm. a load bearing' adjacent one end of said drive shaft and longitudinally movable with said shaft within and supported by said housing, bearings for taking both load. and thrust arranged within said housing'adjacent the other end of'said drive shaft and-longitudinally movable with said shaft within and supported by said housing` means connecting said drive shaft with worm thereon and all of said bearings together as a drive shaft unit, and means removable at will from said housing for determining the position of said drive shaft. unit therein, including a washer'and an adjustment collar, one. arranged at either side of said thrust bearing.

4. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination ofla housing, a worm gear rotatably mounted in said housing, a driving shaft having a worm formed integrally therewith and meshing with said worm gear, a load bearing adjacent one end of said driving shaft and longitudinally mov an entirety is longitudinally adjustable to and fro within said housing.

In mechanism of -the class described, thecombination of a housing, a worm gear rotatably mountedin said housing, a driving shaft having a worm formed integrally therewith and meshing with said worm gear, a load bearing adjacent one end of said driving shaft and longitudinally movable within and supported by said housing, bearings for taking both load and thrust adjacent to the other end of said drive shaft and longitudinally movable within and supported by said housing, said driving shaft being screw threaded adjacent. the points at whlch it is` supported near either end by said bearings, and nuts fitting said screw threaded portions ofthe drive shaft and connecting t0- gether said shaft and the bearings thereon as a' unit which is longitudinally adjustable to and fro within said housing."

6. A, housing for a Worm gear driven axle having a section to receivethe worm gear and a section arranged therebeneath to receive theworm, said latter section having a duct extending therefrom and terminating externally in a port disposed above the plane of contact for saidwcrm gearing within said housing. i

7. A housing for a worm gear driven axle having a section to receive the Worm gear, a section arranged therebeneath to receive the worm, and afcap for one end of said last described section vhaving a duct extending therethrough and terminating externally in a port arranged above the plane 'of contact for the worm gearing within said housing.

8. A housing fon a Wo'rm gear driven axle having a section to receive the worm gear and a section arranged therebeneath to receive the worm, said latter section formed adjacent one end thereof and at its bottom with a pocket having a relatively Anarrow mouth in line with the inner wall of the bottom of the housing.

9. 'A housing for a worm gear driven axle having a section to receive the worm gear and a section arranged therebeneath to receive the w'orm, said latter section formed adjacent one end thereof with a, bearing support and therebeneath a pocket having a relatively narrow mouth in line with the inner wall of the bottom of the housing.

10. In combination with an axle housing, a differential mechanism located therein and including a differential housing, bearing blocks carried by the axle housing and supporting said differential housing, and a bearing yoke connected at either end to the adjacent bearing block. 11. In combination an axle housing, a differential mechanism located therein and having a differential housing, bearing blocks carried by said axle housing and'supporting 'the said differential housing, and a bearing mesh with said driven gear and mounted in said axle housing.

13. In combination an axle housmg having bearing blocks, a bearing yoke extending between said bearing blocks, connected at either end to the adjacent bearing block and forming therewith a cylindrical bea-ring support,

adjacent bearing block.

14; In combination an axle housing having bearing blocks, a bearing yoke extending between said bearing blocks,v connected at either end to the adjacent bearing block and forming therewith cylindrical passage Ways, anti-friction bearings mounted in said cylindrical passage Ways, and a differential mech- -anism including a housing mounted in said anti-friction bearings,

. 15. In combination an axle housing provided With bearing blocks, diii'eiential mechanism including a differential housing supported in said bearing blocks, a bearing oke extending between said bearing blocksand connected at either end to the adjacent bearing. block, a driven gear carried by said differential housing, a driving gear in-'mesh with said driven gear and. mounted in said axle housing, andl collars., each adj ustably mounted between one of said bearing blocks and the adjacent end of said bearing yoke for laterally adjusting the diiferential mecha nism.

16. In mechanism of the class described` the combination of a housing,'a worm gea.` rotatably mounted in said housing, 'a driving shaft, a Worm on said driving shaft meshing with said worm gear, bearings for taking both load and thrust in both direcand a differential mechanism mounted at either end in the bearing sup- 'port formed by said bearing yoke and the tions adjacent to one end of said driving shaft and positioned' Within said housing, .1 bearing for the other end of said driving shaftconnected thereto and mounted in said housing to move longitudinally to and fro therein, and means for connecting said driving shaft with worm thereon and all of said other end of said driving shaft connectedv thereto and mounted in said housing to move longitudinally to and fro therein, and means for positioning Within the housing vsaid bearings which take the thrust and holding them in position, whereby said bearing at the other end of the driving shaft is free to move longitudinally Within the housing during the operation of the mechanism. 1S. A housing for gear driven axle having a section to receive the driven gear and another to receive the driving gear and formed at its bottom with a sediment pocket having a relatively narrow mouth in line with the inner wall of the bottom of the housing.

19. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a housing having an enlarged section to receive a worin gear and a tubular section to receive a worm, a Worin gear rotatably mounted in said housing, a driving shaft having a driven and a. free end, a worm on said driving shaft meshing with said worm gear, and. anti-friction bear ings for taking both load and thrust in both directions, arranged at one side of said worm on the driven end of said driving Shaft and within one end of said tubular section, the other end of said tubular section having a support for rotatably supporting said free end of said driving shaft, shaped to permit the driving shaft to come and go longitudinally within said housing during the assembly, disassembly and operation of said mechanism.

20. In mechanism of the class described, '50

the combination of a housing having an en# larged section to receive a worm gear and a tubular section to receive a worm, a worm gear rotatably mounted in said housing, a

driving shaft having a vdriven and a free end, a worm on said drivin shaft meshing with said worm gear, antiriction bearings` for taking both load and thrust in both directions, arranged at one side of saidworm on the driven end of said driving shaft and within one end of s'aid tubular section, tlie Aother end of-said tubular section having a ree supportV for rotatably supporting said end of said driving shaft, shaped to permit said drivinr dinally within said housing during the asmbly, disassemblyand operation of said mechanism, means for securing said driving shaftA and anti-friction bearings together,l

and means for securing said anti-friction bearings inrposition .in said Atubular section of the housing.

21. In mechanism of vthe class described, the combination of a housing having an enlarged section to receive a worm gear and a "15 tubular section'to receive a Worm, a worm gear rotatably mounted in' said housing, a driving shaft, a worm on said driving shaft meshing with said yworm gear, annular antifriet-ion bearings for taking load arranged on said driving shaft at opposite sides of. said Worin thereon` and supportedfin said tubular section so as to be capable of longitudinal movement in either direction thereiii, an anti-friction bearing for takingthrust in'both directions supported in said tubular section and arranged on said driving-'shaft adjacent one of said annular loa-d bearings, means for securing said thrust bearing in position on said driving shaft, and means Copie: o! this patent may be obtained for Ave cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents,

Walhiiigton, D. 0."

shaft to come-and go longitu- 65 

